Republican Tactic Ends Stalemate in Wisconsin – NYTimes.com

More unfortunate news tonight according to The New York Times. The Wisconsin State Senators found a legal loophole to pass Governor Walker’s public union busting bill that takes away rights and money from Wisconsin’s workers to meet budgetary shortfalls created by his substantial corporate tax breaks:

The bitter political standoff in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s bid to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public-sector workers ended abruptly Wednesday night, as his Republican counterparts in the State Senate successfully maneuvered to adopt a bill doing just that.

After a three-week stalemate, Republican senators pushed the measure through in less than half an hour, with the Senate’s Democrats still miles away trying to block the vote. Democratic Assembly members complained bitterly, and protesters, who had spent many days at the Capitol, continued their chants and jeers.

I have written previously that I support the WI workers here, and I am concerned about what this loss and the other recent workers’ rights losses in Idaho and Ohio mean for us all (i.e., the ~80% of the American population that controls less than 15% of net worth according to G. William Domhoff here). These are radical attacks on the ability of public servants, who provide invaluable services for citizens, to get a fair shake against overzealous and ideologically motivated politicians and administrators who want to cripple public services and our educational system.

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Published by Jason W Ellis

I am an Assistant Professor of English at the New York City College of Technology, CUNY whose teaching includes composition and technical communication, and research focuses on science fiction, neuroscience, and digital technology. Also, I coordinate the City Tech Science Fiction Collection, which holds more than 600 linear feet of magazines, anthologies, novels, and research publications.
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Who is Dynamic Subspace?

Hello! I'm Jason Ellis and I share my interdisciplinary research and pedagogy on DynamicSubspace.net. It includes posts that explore science, technology, and cultural issues through science fiction and neuroscientific approaches. Also, I write about retrocomputing, LEGO building, and other forms of making.

I am an Assistant Professor of English at the New York City College of Technology, CUNY (City Tech) where I teach college writing, technical communication, and science fiction.

I hold a Ph.D. in English from Kent State University, M.A. in Science Fiction Studies from the University of Liverpool, and B.S. in Science, Technology, and Culture from Georgia Tech.